Honoring our military veterans

Thursday

Nov 15, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Liz Smith

‘Adapt ... Improvise ... Overcome!”

This is the brilliant encouraging motto of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — IAVA — and it was made manifest at Cipriani 42 Street this week when the wounded, their defenders, all heroes, met for their sixth annual fundraising gala.

This was not a night for General Petraeus but for our American men and women, especially Army and Marines. (This week I offered thoughts of sympathy for Petraeus and company, but after the IAVA evening, it is difficult to even give them a stray thought.)

IAVA’s number one military honoree was, of course, a “no-show.” But he wasn’t even missed in an evening under Brian William’s emcee stewardship. It was an evening that whizzed by and went from patriotic good feelings to heroic heights.

Brian is sardonic, humorous and a perfect emcee for such an evening. (He covered the Iraq War in depth and in person.)

This night he led an audience of the social, the wealthy, the wounded, and just plain ordinary citizens who can’t resist him when it comes to giving more and more to those who deserve it most. (Special thanks go to Veterans on Wall Street, Bank of America, Citi, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, Levi Strauss and Centre Partners.)

You’d probably recognize the executive director of IAVA, one Paul Rieckhoff, a dynamo who doesn’t boast one hair on his head. You probably have seen him on TV defending veterans. He told us about his organization’s crisis counseling, veterans in despair, high suicide rates and the need for jobs. After that, Brian told us — and I quote — “Go and beat the snot out of your employers who need to hire a veteran for a job!”

Brian also reminisced about his youth spent on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, praised Governor Christie of New Jersey and said how it hurt him to see Sandy’s ruins there. He added, “It was not Six Flags or Disney; not even One Flag! It was just Seaside and we loved it.” Then we learn that veterans are helping clean up everywhere from Sandy.

Joan Ganz Cooney and Pete Peterson, the civilian honorees, both spoke wittily and briefly. Joan told us how “Sesame Street” now deals with unusual topics as never before. For instance, helping children adapt to missing military parents, adjust to the seriously wounded and to cope even with death.

Pete said: “I am glad to be here tonight, but frankly, at my age, I am glad to be anywhere!”